


A Dork's Guide to Romance

by ionica01



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, But also Cuteness, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Library AU, M/M, Too many puns, alSO PUNS, and literature and music, and many adorable dorks, from strangers to friends to more, klance, rivalry because, science aka astronomy, they're college students here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-05-29 01:46:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15062369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ionica01/pseuds/ionica01
Summary: Lance just wanted an easy elective- who knew Coran would work them to the bone about rips in time and space? He pays a visit to the library to take his mind of failing the course- that is, until he finds an astronomy book in which someone has scribbled all of the information Lance could ever ask for and more.Keith always regains his peace of mind in the library, where no one screams at him or makes him feel out of place. He prefers books to people, until someone starts talking to him through his favourite book.Or the Klance! Library AU nobody asked for.





	1. Lance Discovers Library Visits Can Be Useful

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> This is my first time writing Klance (or Voltron in general) but I do hope you guys enjoy it, since it was a blast planning and writing this first chapter! But without further ado, enjoy!  
> Disclaimer: the characters of Voltron or any of the books mentioned don't belong to me, and the music evoked is some of my favourite, my respects to the artists!

Autumn is really romantic, Lance thinks. He could write poetry about the hues of vibrant red and orange splashed onto a mellow yellow background, about the softness of sweaters and the warmth of laughter that bubbles out of people in the cafes, about the crunch of the leaves under the rushed students’ feet.

 

But no, Lance has to stay inside, marvel at the beautiful landscape from behind the window and work on this stupid, boring, time-consuming and absolutely useless astronomy project.

 

“Why did I choose astronomy as my elective?” he complains, sighing dramatically and banging his head against the wooden desk. It hurts more than he accounted for.

 

Hunk is more than happy to supply where his memory (intentionally) fails, “Because the almighty Lance thought ‘Hey, this looks like it’d be easy and fun! And Shiro’s the TA! Let’s do this, Hunk, Pidge!’” Hunk’s impersonation of Lance is horrible, and any other day, Lance would point it out, but his suffering eats up most of his energy.

 

“I thought we were supposed to study planets!” he whines. “Why do we need maths to calculate the distances between astral planes? Can’t we just, I don’t know, talk about black holes and aliens and stuff?”

He decides to pretend he didn’t hear Hunk giggling. Fed up with the project and the stale air in his dorm room and feeling embarrassingly stupid in the presence of his genius roommate, Lance declares, “I’m going out for a walk.”

The outside feels so much better than the cramped room he shares with Hunk. Lance is a nature person- he needs to feel the wind playing with his hair and relishes in the smell of damp soil and fallen leaves. College has robbed him of the time spent in the fresh air, and Lance finds himself craving it even more now that the day is getting shorter.

But no good thing ever lasts too long for Lance. A droplet, then another one falls onto his cheek, and before he can spot a place to hide in, rain comes pouring down.  _ This isn’t my day _ , Lance thinks and starts running for the closest building- the library.

It’s not a bad thing, he tries to convince himself while squeezing water out of his hoodie. Sure, his much needed walk was cut short and he’s back inside, but the library is huge, so it’s not like he feels suffocated here. And he may even find a book to explain the horror that wormholes are- Lance found the concept cool until he discover they could suddenly collapse. Why was Coran so in love with something so dangerous and only theoretically possible?

Lance walks towards the science section of the library. Every time he’s in here, he feels insignificant next to the bookshelves that reach the ceiling and the amount of knowledge they must contain. The smell of old wood and dusty pages doesn’t tickle his nose the pleasant way, either. 

Lance has to admit it- he isn’t a book person. He doesn’t hate reading, but reading isn’t a socialising activity like going out for movies is. Well, unless he reads to his younger siblings, if that excuse for them to ask him questions and cuddle closer to him on chilly evenings can even be called reading.

He wasn’t brought up with weekly visits at the library, either, so maybe that’s why he doesn’t feel at ease walking between rows of books. Although he isn’t the only person in there, he feels oh so alone. The buzz of whispering voices dies as he walks further into the science wing, and the silence crushes him.

“Can I help you?” Lance recognises Shiro’s voice and turns around, gratefulness painted across his features.

When Shiro isn’t the hot TA, he’s the hot library assistant. Even under the turtleneck sweater, his muscles manage to cause ripples in the material. Shiro is every girl’s dream and every boy’s envy, but there’s something about the friendly, almost familiar way in which he talks that makes Lance see him as a brother more than a crush. That doesn’t mean he can’t admire his buff body, of course.

At some point, it occurs to Lance that he should stop staring and answer. “I was looking for something on wormholes.”

Shiro smiles in that reassuring way of his, a trademark smile that touches his eyes and the scar on his nose curls in an endearing U-shape instead of looking menacing like it does on actors in movies. “Sure,” he says and starts tracking the books down, inviting Lance to join with the wave of a hand. “So you’re working on your assignment?”

“Yeah, but I kinda hit a dead-end,” he admits because with Shiro, talking is as natural as breathing. Lance sometimes wonders why Shiro does this- working in a library and trying to become a teacher. If he wanted, Shiro could probably be anything- a doctor, or a lawyer, or a sports trainer, or perhaps even a pilot. 

But he’s grateful that Shiro is here in this university instead, because he joined Lance several times on coffee-shop outings when the boy felt miserable. Spending time with Shiro helped Lance discover that he had the wisdom of a sixty year old man despite still being in his twenties. When he asked what shaped his outlook on life, Shiro displayed one of his rare sad smiles- not bitter, just… remorse.  _ Life is a tough teacher sometimes _ , was all he said.

“Here you go,” Shiro points to a dishearteningly huge bookcase. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Lance manages to mutter a “Thanks” and runs a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling very tired. Where is he even supposed to begin with this?

He runs a hand over the spines, reading the titles on the rough skin of the used books. They seem to be so tightly pushed in between the wooden planks to fit as many as possible that Lance decides it’d be wise to only pull out the books that could be useful.

Half an hour later, Lance has found no book on wormholes in particular. He doesn’t blame the library- who’d buy a book on a subject that seems to be out of a sci-fi movie? So he resorts to looking for books about Einstein’s Relativity Theory or Travelling in Space or whatever, really.

A book in particular catches his eye- its covers are so used they’ve become fragile, and its title is barely visible on the spine. Lance gently pulls it from between the others, quietly curses as the heap leaning on top of this damned book falls onto his toes and eventually manages shaking it out without tipping the entire bookshelf over.

The first page reveals the title  _ The Unknown Universe _ , next to which someone doodled a constellation. What’s impressive, however, is that it’s not drawn with the five-pointed star that children learn how to do in kindergarten and them fill the walls with- Lance has three little siblings, he knows what he’s talking about- but like an actual map of the night sky. It’s Aquarius- Lance is surprised he even recognises it, but it looks so much like the NASA photos Coran showed them that it’s hard to miss.

He flips through the book and discovers doodles on some other pages, just as impressive with their minute details, but that isn’t what leaves Lance’s jaw hanging loose. On almost every page, passages are underlined and next to them, website addresses are written or notes are made, comments on the truth of the author’s words or newer discoveries.

Each page is bathed in the same handwriting, easy to read despite how small the words are, and Lance is left gaping at the work this person has poured into rewriting 400 pages. His feet start moving towards a computer, and as soon as he finds a free one, he nervously types in one of the web page’s name, drumming with his fingers on the table as he waits for it to load.

To his bewilderment, the page pops up, yellow letters on a dark blue background, words telling the story of story of the North Star before Lance’s wooed eyes. Frantically, he swipes through the book for anything on wormholes, and sure enough, he finds a whole chapter dedicated to space travel. The pencil handwriting informs Lance that there’s more to it online.

Lance feels thrilled, like he did when he was digging in the backyard all those years ago and discovered his brother’s time capsule but genuinely thought it was a treasure box. His fingers gently trace the words in the book as he types them into the computer.

An youtube page pops up, and he pulls on the headphones and loses himself in what must be the most exciting astronomy-filled hours of his life.

<///>

Headphones in and eyes pinned to the bookshelves, Keith walks towards the science wing of the library with practiced ease. The books that can’t even begin to describe the immensity of the universe are Keith’s sole oasis of peace and quiet, and with the rain outside stopping him from taking his bike out and the project for Coran’s class already done, Keith finds himself levitating back to them.

As he rounds up the corner to the books that always wait for him, Keith’s blood freezes in his veins. There’s someone else there- and isn’t today just Keith’s day? Reading titles of the astronomy book is none other but Lance McLoudball, standing in the exact spot Keith loves so much.

Before he can be spotted, Keith spins on his heels and heads for the Literature section. He doesn’t hate Lance with the raging passion the guy seems to put into challenging Keith- there’s some merit to that, Keith appreciates. If Lance weren’t so set against him, he probably wouldn’t even remember his name. But the lanky boy has a way of getting under Keith’s skin, creating ripples in his otherwise empty life. Sometimes, it’s a welcomed distraction. Most of the times though, it’s just annoying.

Like now, Keith contemplates as he wanders aimlessly through the rows of English Authors. He isn’t as well versed in this part of the library: it isn’t as empty as the astronomy corner, neither is it as welcoming for Keith. The bookshelves here are newer, the dusty books nowhere in sight- not with hundreds of students checking them out daily- and that robs them of a certain charm only a used book has, the memories of the readers scribbled onto the folded pages or small underlines.

Eventually, he remembers they are going to study  _ To Kill a Mockingbird _ and decides he may as well be productive if he’s going to spend his afternoon here. He doesn’t have trouble finding the book- or rather, books, because there are a dozen copies of it.

Ignoring the other students in this more popular area, Keith heads for one of the windows and settles on the wide windowsill. With Oasis and the dull sound of rain as his companion, Keith lets himself be dragged into the world of childish wonder by Scout.

<///>

When Lance can finally be bothered to check the time, it’s already 7pm. This is what happens when there are no windows in sight, he thinks, but for once, he can’t bring himself to feel grumpy about the lack of landscapes or the three hours he’s just spent in the library.

He meets Shiro again when he goes to check out the book. The librarian smiles knowingly, “This is a really great book.”

“It is.” He hasn’t been this excited since he read  _ A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe _ . Truthfully, it isn’t the book itself that is so good, but the dedicated reader who added a very detailed wormhole doodle in it, and to whom Lance is forever grateful for finally understanding relativistic physics.

“You can keep it for two weeks,” Shiro’s still smiling, but instead of staring at his handsome face, Lance takes back the book and carefully presses it to his chest.

“Thanks,” he says before he takes off to his dorm with hurried steps. He has to tell Hunk about this- and then he has to work his butt off on his presentation. With this anonymous angel’s help, he can definitely score an A on Coran’s class. And who knows? Maybe he can even beat that bastard Keith!

<///>

The bastard in question is so immersed in his book that he startles when someone nudges his shoulder gently. “Keith,” Shiro’s voice lulls him out of Harper Lee’s world, anchoring him back into reality. He suddenly realises how sore his entire body feels, and when he glances outside, it’s already dark.

“What time is it?”

“Time to close up,” his brother smiles softly, glancing at Keith’s book. “I gather you like it?”

Keith finds himself smiling a bit. He and Shiro have bonded over books, and he loves discussing them with him. He wouldn’t do it with anyone else- it feels too personal, like he’s exposing a small part of his soul. Shiro is different- he used to read him books when he was sick- he still does, when he has the time. He even pins poems he thinks Keith would like on the fridge, and Keith pins quotes for him in return.

“Yeah. Atticus reminds me of you.”

“Ah, and here I was, thinking I’m more of a Jem.” Shiro lets out a laugh, breezy and familiar, and Keith can’t help but sport one of his own. “Come on, let’s check that out and go home.”

Keith hums in agreement, but he can’t help paying a visit to  _ his  _ corner while Shiro signs the book out. When his brother comes looking for him, Keith is frozen before the bookshelves. “What’s wrong?” Shiro asks.

“Did someone borrow  _ The Unknown Universe _ ?”

<///>

“So you’re telling me there’s a guy who  _ actually _ rewrote a book?” Hunk’s face is painted in disbelief, and Lance enjoys being smug about his discovery.

“Don’t believe me? See for yourself!” he says as he lays the book in Hunk’s lap. His friend’s eyes widen in disbelief as he flips through page after page, then pulls his laptop closer to type in a random address. To Lance’s delight, Hunk’s jaw drops.

“Oh sweet macaroni,” he whispers. Saying that Lance is beaming would be an understatement.

“I’ll ace this,” he declares, retrieving the book and nestling on his own bed. “It’ll be the best project on wormholes Coran has ever seen.”

“You’ve really got your heart set on this thing, don’t you?”

But Lance is already too deep into his work to bother giving Hunk an answer. He can just imagine the radiant grin he’ll show Keith once this project kicks his to the dust.


	2. The Universe Is Big... or so Keith Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is. I mean you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space."  
> ~A direct quote from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and one that Keith wholeheartedly agreed. It's a small world, though, and he has yet to find that out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. You may now understand that A Dork's Guide to Romance is just a pun on the title mentioned earlier- and if you read that book, I'll love you as much as Lance would! (I just hc he likes the book tbh. Most of hat you'll read are my hcs tho so yeah).  
> Anyway, less babbling more reading! Enjoy~

Keith doesn’t hate classes per se- he loves the act of studying in itself in fact. He loses himself in the library, in between bookshelves that are so tall he cannot reach their top, amidst pages that hold secrets he has yet to discover. Books fascinate him in a way he finds hard to explain, and he chose English as his major just as an excuse to read more. Wandering in the maze of human emotions, so beautiful in how messy they are and untangling the complex feelings is like witchcraft to Keith.

What he hates are  _ actual  _ humans. Characters are fine, because he can get into their mind, because their body language is down on paper and he can spot it and reread it as many times as necessary. Real life isn’t that generous, Keith bitterly notes.

Take Lance, for instance, who is now waltzing into their only shared class, the Astronomy Elective. He openly claims that Keith is a royal pain in the butt, yet he sits next to him during every class. Keith has given up on attempting to figure out whether that’s part of some masterplan to irritate him or whatever. He doesn’t even try to understand why Lance has chosen this elective anymore, if it makes him sigh so dramatically every five minutes or so.

Keith slouches back in his seat and ignores the loud thuds Lance’s books make as they land unceremoniously on his table. He also ignores the smug grin Lance throws his way, swallowing back a smart comeback along the lines of “Did you decide to be McGrin today?” and tries focusing on his own project.

Other than reading, Astronomy is Keith’s favourite thing. The few years he’s spent with his dad are punctuated by memories of watching the night sky through a makeshift observer, bare feet tiptoeing on the silky grass as his father explained each constellation to him. He still has the telescope he gave him for his sixth birthday- the only hint that his father is not just a product of his imagination.

Reading sky maps, skimming through articles upon articles about stars and studying quantum mechanics somehow managed to keep him sane during his time in foster care, until the Shiroganes took him in. There’s something reassuring in knowing that he’s so small, so insignificant to the universe, and that thousands of other galaxies couldn’t care less about his mundane worries.

But in five minutes, twenty students will care about his presentation. Keith’s stomach ties into a double knot, like those sailor knots he could never undo, and the confidence in his project sinks under the floating line. He’s a terrible,  _ terrible  _ public speaker, and he doesn’t get why they can’t just submit essays like he does in English, for crying out loud. 

The fact that Lance is still grinning and oozing confidence less than a foot away doesn’t help either, and if he Keith weren’t squeezing his papers so tight his knuckles turned white, he might have shoved his fist in his guts, not hard enough to be accused of violence, but enough to make him lose balance while rocking his chair on the back feet.

He remembers Shiro’s advice and takes a deep breath. This is gonna be over soon. He’ll just get up there, say his part, and return to his desk. Easy as that.

Except it isn’t easy, because a lump too big to swallow is already forming in his throat and his palms are sweaty, forming creases on the margins of the paper he’s holding like his life depends on it.

_ You’re just talking about Astronomy, Keith. It’s something you’re good at. Find a friendly face in the crowd and look at it. It’s okay to stutter. Nobody’s going to judge you. Just relax. _

When Coran closes the door, Keith jolts out of his thoughts. His eyes meet Shiro’s, who offers him a soft, encouraging smile. Keith strains himself to smile back, but he just can’t force the corners of his mouth to tug upwards. It’s stupid to get so worked up over such a little thing, and that anger makes him even more anxious- a weird cycle that Keith can’t break out of.

Listening to the two presentations before his is painful, and the five minutes feel like a small eternity, but when he eventually gets up, he wishes that eternity could have lasted longer.

Keith clears his throat quietly and starts with an eloquent, “Erm,” searching the room for a neutral face. His eyes eventually settle on a tanned boy with a yellow headband and a kind face, and he unclenches his jaw as he starts talking about black holes.

Sometimes fumbling for words and other times so immersed in the possibility of there being a parallel universe at the other end of a singularity that he misses an article or two, Keith makes it through with the encouraging nods from the angel he’s looking at and hums of approval from behind the orange mustache. 

Only once he’s done and back in his seat does Keith feel the sweat running down the back of his neck, but the proud look Shiro gives him is all worth it. This time, he even manages to smile back.

“That was pretty cool,” someone whispers. Keith is surprised to turn around to discover that the speaker is none other than his self proclaimed eternal rival, but he nods nonetheless. His brain isn’t fast enough to formulate a muffled “thanks” before Lance gets up to present his own project.

There’s something about Lance’s lanky body that makes him exude even more confidence, in the way he controls every bone and muscle to move according to his own wishes. He looks so casual,  _ is _ so casual, Keith corrects himself when he hears Lance’s introduction.

“I always thought wormholes involved space and time and all that complicated stuff, but I guess they’re a bit more  _ earthy _ than I first assumed.” He even  _ winks _ , and Keith is already stuck between rolling his eyes and fighting the urge to gasp at how natural Lance can be while facing a bunch of strangers.

After the giggles die out, Lance actually gets serious. If Keith was mildly impressed by the unusual introduction, he is actually in awe at Lance’s project. It’s not just that he has all the relevant information, but he delivers with charm and passion. Keith is entranced, and he only notices his mouth is slightly open when his throat becomes dry and he has to close it in order to swallow.

A part of him is jealous that someone managed to make Astronomy, the subject he loves most, so attractive, but a much bigger part of him is just glad that black holes receive what they deserve, in the form of a thorough analysis- as much as three minutes allows for, anyway.

Lance’s smug look as he sits down is enough of an indication that Keith’s appreciation is painted all over his face. And Keith doesn’t give a damn about it.

<///>

“I nailed it,” Lance declares matter-of-factly as he joins Pidge and Hunk for the walk to the cafeteria, hands resting on his nape in a casual elbows-up pose. He feels the roll of Pidge’s eyes at his dramatics, but he couldn’t care less. He even left that bastard Keith gaping, and that is officially Lance’s biggest achievement in the 18 years since his birth.

“Is this how it feels to be smart? I think I could get used to it,” he sighs contently.

“You should thank the dude with the book,” Hunk says, pragmatic as always. He pretends not to notice the glare Lance sends him, but seven years of friendship and counting have taught Lance that his best friend  _ totally _ notices his glares.

“Why are you so sure it’s a dude?” Lance mopes. “Maybe it’s an intelligent good looking girl.”

Hunk just gives him a blank stare while Pidge asks, “What book?” Pidge asks, and Lance moans as all the rules of friendship are broken and Hunk discloses the not-actually-secret-but-still-secret.

“But I worked really hard on it, too!” he pouts once the short version of the story is shared with Pidge and his friends both fix him with hard to describe looks.

“I’m not saying you don’t have any merits, Lance, I’m just saying maybe you should thank the guy.”

He knows Hunk is right, but- “I don’t even know who they are. And stop assuming it’s a he.”

“You could always ask Shiro,” Pidge helpfully offers.

“And thank them how exactly? ‘Hey, I know it’s technically forbidden to write on library books but your breaking the rules will get me and A so thanks a bunch here’s a Snickers’?!” Lance swings his hands dramatically through the air, trying to prove how impossible the task is.

“Maybe you could offer him-  _ them _ \- cookies instead of a Snickers?” Hunk suggests.

“Yes Lance, buying a Snickers at the shop around the corner is just mean, pour some feelings into it, would you?”

Lance can’t even fake a pout anymore. The three of them break into a fit of childish giggles as they enter the cafeteria and search an empty table. It’s quite the feat to find one in the middle of the lunch break- they were late because Coran just  _ had _ to remind them they’ll have a project in pairs that will amount to 30% of their final degree- but they eventually manage.

Hunk is already attacking his impossibly big hamburger when Lance sticks a fork into the reheated lasagna. “Why is Coran so keen on projects? And why team projects, anyway?”

“Because,” Pidge pretends to stroke an invisible moustache and adopts Coran’s tone perfectly, “‘This is an opportunity for you to learn from each other and strengthen your bonds, as well as cover for the other’s weaknesses. It’s not only an Astronomy exercise, but an enriching experience that should teach you more about trust and the power of teamwork’. Something like that.”

Hunk chuckles and rewards Pidge’s impersonation with a cookie as Lance rolls his eyes. “I just hope I get with one of you guys this time around. I don’t want to work with smelly-socks Sendak again,” he whines, pointing the fork at his two friends. “It’s unfair that two geniuses like you get teamed up all the time.”

“Well you know how it works, Lance, two minds are better than one, and they’re even better if they can colour-code,” Pidge says as she happily nibbles on her salad.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” Hunk pats Lance’s back gently when he sees his shoulders slump. “I’m sure you’ll get to work with one of us this time around. You put in a lot of effort.”

“I hope so,” Lance forces a smile and stuffs his face with lasagna. The cheese is sticky and there’s barely any beef- he shouldn’t have expected italian food done right at the cafeteria.

<///>

Lance goes directly for the librarian’s desk this time around, and, to his delight, Shiro is there. He’s wearing glasses to protect his eyes from the computer screen’s radiations, but instead of looking nerdy, he looks classy. Lance can’t even hold that against him- Mother Nature just isn’t fair when distributing the good-looking percentages.

“Hey Lance,” Shiro greets, looking at him over the edge of the lensis. “Good job on the Astronomy project today! Did your last library visit help?”

A warm feeling- recognition mixed with some sort of gratefulness to Shiro for noticing his work- flows through Lance. “Thanks. And yeah, it was a huge help. I actually wanted to talk about that book I borrowed,” he admits and pulls it out of his backpack, careful not to fold any of the pages.

“Oh?” Shiro smiles- grins?- when his eyes fall upon the covers eaten by time and a very enthusiastic reader. “What about it?”

“Could I maybe check who borrowed it before?” Lance tries.

Shiro looks at him amused, an eyebrow arched as he asks the obvious question, “And why may that be?”

Lance tried his best to come up with a believable excuse, he really did. He convocated a brainstorming session with Pidge and Hunk and even asked Google, but he doubted Shiro would buy the “I think there are alien writings in this book and for the sake of humanity we need to know who borrowed it” excuse. Besides, Shiro has a way of getting the truth out of you anyway, just with his piercing stare.

“Look, I don’t want you to get mad, but someone wrote on the margins of this book.” Before Shiro can answer,Lance hurriedly adds, “But they didn’t damage it! If anything, I think they made it a hundred times better because some of these notes are detailed sketches and amazing links! I actually want to thank them for the help!”

He says everything in one breath, and stops to give himself time to inhale again. Shiro waits for him to stop panting, a smile lazily curling around his lips in the meantime. Lance is confused as to why the librarian is smiling, but at least he isn’t angry with his benefactor.

“Unfortunately, we can’t disclose that sort of information.” Lance must look like a rained puppy, because Shiro adds, “But if you want to rely a message to them, I could maybe try to help.”

Lance ponders the suggestion for a moment. “Could I leave you something for them?”

“Sure thing,” Shiro smiles widely.

“I’ll be right back.”

Lance storms out of the library, ignoring the indignated huffs as he passes by other library assistants and readers who don’t seem to appreciate his athletic skills, and heads for the closest bookshop. He doesn’t know  _ why _ or  _ how _ , but he knows  _ exactly  _ what his mystery helper would want.

Joining the Astronomy elective was something he did on a whim, but Shiro being the TA or his grade weren’t the only reasons behind his decision, contrary to what Hunk claimed. When he was younger, his older brother always had this one book laying around the living room. Curious middle schooler Lance had to stick his nose in it, and discovered a funny futuristic world with adventures in other galaxies and questions he later came back to, discovering an underlying, deeper meaning.

_ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. _

It’s the only book Lance read more than three times and, while not all about the universe, he had a hunch this stranger might enjoy the witty writing of Douglas Adams and the nonchalant way in which he treats the meaning of life and other questions that would usually go over one’s head.

Asking one of the shopkeepers for help, Lance finds the book buried somewhere in the depths of the young adult category, not receiving the love and recognition it deserves. He cradles it in his arms and tries not to beam at the thought of sharing this jewel with someone else, and giving them the opportunity to cruise through this wonderful ride with arguably the craziest characters ever.

As he pays the 10 bucks this book more than merits- Lance honestly considers leaving a tip because this book is priceless but he’s just a broke college student- he realizes he’s never shared it with anyone. It feels personal, as if he left part of his soul in that book, even more so since Lance isn’t a book-person. Having a total stranger read it doesn’t sound as scary. On the contrary, it’s quite exciting.

Lance runs back to the library even faster than before, grinning all the way back. A bubbly feeling works its way up through him, and he sprints right past the outraged students and crashes next to Shiro’s desk, grabbing the frame of the computer for support, holding the book close to his chest at the same time.

“Can I- have a- pen?” he wheezes out because apparently that’s how eloquent he is after his perfect speech in class. Shiro looks at him half worried, half confused as Lance grabs the pen and writes a message as lizible as he can on the first page. “There,” he looks at it contently and hands the book to Shiro. “Can you pass this to the mystery reader?”

The librarian looks at the cover, but he respects the intimacy of Lance and this unknown person’s communication and doesn’t open the book. “Sure,” he says and smiles his “you can leave it to me” smile.

Lance leaves the library lighter, with a spring to his step and the breeze playing with his bangs. It’s a good day to be Lance.

<///>

It’s not too bad a day to be Keith, either. He hasn’t embarrassed himself beyond belief in class today, and he discovered that Lance isn’t always McObnoxious. He replayed those three minutes in his head countless times, trying to figure out what was so charming about them. It was the passion, sure, but Keith loves Astronomy with every fibre of his being. Eventually, he reaches the conclusion that there is something inherently Lanceish in the way words weave a story out of his mouth, and he isn’t quite sure how to replicate that.

He isn’t quite sure how to do  _ To Kill a Mockingbird  _ justice either, because he will undoubtedly have to write an essay about it sooner or later. The beauty of the book can’t just be summed up in elaborate words, like his teacher probably expects him to. It wouldn’t be appropriate, either, since Scout’s childish and innocent view over her town is what charms the reader in the first place. He sighs and nestles deeper into the cushions on the sofa, munching on the end of his pencil.

He’s so deep in reading he barely hears Shiro’s “I’m home” until he taps his shoulder. Keith tilts his head to see his brother and finally answers, “Welcome home.”

“Someone asked me to deliver this to you,” Shiro says as he sits down in the spot where Keith’s legs used to be, the latter scooting over and perching on the armrest.

He quirks an eyebrow, but takes the book out of Shiro’s outstretched hand anyway. “For me?” he asks again, because Keith does not remember interacting much with anyone apart from his brother and occasionally other librarians, much less asking for a book. He runs a thumb over the cover, and feels the bolded title.  _ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  _ It doesn’t ring a bell.

“It’s a present,” Shiro smiles and Keith’s eyes dart towards his beaming face.

“For me?” he asks again, both eyebrows now arched in surprise. Keith doesn’t get presents often. The last gift he got for no specific occasion was a pair of fingerless gloves from Allura. He takes them everytime he goes out with his bike, and when he doesn’t wear them, they’re proudly resting on his bedside table.

Shiro nods, sending Keith into another search for any believable reasons as to why anyone would bother giving him a book- a new book, from the smell of it and the feel of the pages he starts browsing through mindlessly. 

His eyes catch something that doesn’t look like the official font, and he flips over to the first page. Indeed, someone scribbled a rushed message in blue ink, right under the name of the author.

_ Dear Unknown Angel, _

_ I found The Unknown Universe in the library, and let me just say, your notes made it SO much better! I was lost searching for information all over the place, and your links literally saved me. This may be my first A in my (rather short) college life, and it’s all thanks to you! _

_ I know it’s not much and I don’t know you at all, but I have a hunch you’ll like this book. I certainly did, and maybe it’s stupid to hope you’ll enjoy it too, but if you do, could you somehow let me know through Shiro? No particular reason, I’m just curious to hear your thoughts on it. _

_ Yours truly, _

_ A very grateful freshman _

Keith rereads the two short paragraphs more than three times. His mysterious protegee is quite dramatic, but Keith can’t help the surge of happiness at being told that his words helped someone. He never really expected to share that book with anyone, was even apprehensive to show it to Shiro, but knowing that his additional notes meant something to someone erases all of the doubts and makes him feel lighter.

It’s only when he meets Shiro’s eyes, long since fixed on him, that he becomes conscious of his own smile, playing around his lips effortlessly. “Who sent this?” he asks, although he isn’t sure he wants to know. There’s something reassuring about being anonymous.

“I can’t disclose such information,” Shiro secretively declares and gets up before Keith can figure out an answer to that. “And they don’t know who you are, either. Dinner?”

Keith traces the title again and reads the note once more.

“Sure,” he says and joins Shiro in their kitchenette.

<///>

There’s something refreshing about his first class of the day being Astronomy, Lance decides as he strolls into the amphitheatre and takes his usual seat in the front row, next to Keith. 

He still doesn’t know what pushed him to seat there in the first place- some sort of competitive spirit, Hunk suggested, but Lance knows it’s more along the lines of wanting to prove he could rise to the same level as Keith to himself, not to anyone else. And after he did that on the first day, he couldn’t just back down like a coward and move into one of the back rows next to his friends, he just  _ couldn’t _ .  _ That _ was his competitive spirit.

But today, that’s not bothering him, because they’re finally going to get their partners assigned and he’s finally going to work with either Hunk or Pidge. He honestly leans towards Hunk a bit more, because he makes great snacks for the study sessions. Not that he wouldn’t make them for Lance if he asked, but Lance doesn’t want to be needy all the time.

He drums his fingers on his desk and steals a sideway glance-  _ fine,  _ several glances- at Annoying Mullet. For someone who never seems to smile and barely talks, he seems in quite a good mood today. 

Lance begrudgingly admits that his presentation was good, too. The guy sure did his homework, albeit he seemed to spit the words out rather than say them. Still, Lance is confident about his own work for once, and he thanks the mystery author for his good mood over the past week.

He wonders whether his benefactor is currently reading the book and enjoying it- he sure hopes they do. He also wonders whether they’ll respond to his note or find it creepy, which would be very hypocritical of someone who rewrote 400 pages of a book. 

It’s Coran’s moustache appearing in his field of view that breaks Lance’s train of thoughts, and his mind immediately shifts gears to wonder how hard maintaining that orange plop of facial hair must be, and whether Coran gets a foam moustache over his natural one when he’s drinking cappuccino. Does Coran even drink cappuccino?

He’s still entranced by these thoughtful questions when Shiro starts announcing the teams. His back arches straight when Shiro calls his name, though. “Lance?”

“Yes!”

“You’ll be with Keith. Jared, you’ll work-”

The rest of the sentence is lost on Lance as his lips part in shock, then in sheer disbelief, and his head whirls around to confirm that this is all a nightmare. Keith will pinch him or something and he’ll wake up, he’s sure of that. 

Keith’s wide eyes and raised eyebrows tell Lance this horrible dream is very much a reality.

He has to work with Keith. For 30% of his grade. For one month.

_ Crap. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> Hopefully, this chapter was fun. It's much longer than the last one, and the following chapters will continue this trend (I hope I get the time for an update soon!) Thank you for reading, and let me know whether you enjoy this little au of mine down in the comments (also you may pay your respects to Adam Douglas if you wish to, I won't stop you!)  
> Till next time, lovely readers!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> I hope this has been fun- it's just the introduction, things are going to get even better as we go along! If you enjoyed it, feel free to drop a comment- I love and respond to all of them! Thanks for taking the time to read, and till next time~


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